1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dehydrated food. More particularly, it relates to a dehydrated food which is obtained by cooking a food material selected from among, for example, meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts or dough for fried bun or fried cake, in erythritol instead of an edible oil with is usually employed as a heating medium.
2. Prior Art
A fried food is generally prepared by cooking a food material in an edible oil, which is used as a heating medium, at a temperature of approximately 150.degree. to 200.degree. C. Frying in an oil and fat is superior to other cooking procedures aiming at gelatinization to .alpha.-type of starch or denaturation of protein, such as smothering or roasting, since the former procedure, wherein a heating medium of a high temperature is directly in contact with a food material to be cooked, can be completed in a short period of time.
However oil-fried foods such as "agesenbei" (fried rice cake), "karinto" (fried dough cake), potato chips and fried beans would exhibit various off-flavour caused by autoxidation or hydrolysis of fats and oils therein upon prolonged storage. When the deterioration further proceeds, the fats and oils would become toxic and sometimes cause food poisoning.
Recent improvement and diversification of Japanese diets have brought about an increase in obesity, diabetes and cardiac diseases caused by excessive calorie intake. Thus it is not preferable to take a large amount of oil-fried foods which are high-caloric and nutritious. Therefore it should be avoided to take, in particular, animal fats and oils in excess from the viewpoint of preventing geriatric diseases, since they would elevate serum cholesterol level.
Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 244/1987 ("OPI" herein refers to unexamined Japanese Patent Publication) has disclosed a process for preparing a dehydrated food by using a sugar alcohol such as D-sorbitol, mannitol or maltitol. However a dehydrated food prepared by using one of these sugar alcohols is disadvantageous in the handleability in cooking, the solidifying behaviors of the cooked material and, in particular, the water absorption properties thereof.